Listen! I'm a Girl!
by ExceedinglyTrans
Summary: Moving the series out of the 80s and into the modern day, this take on the story features a Hibari that's even more vocal about her gender than before, among a host of other changes, some big and some small. It's written without assuming the reader is familiar with the source material, but worry not Hibari fans, this is no rehash: even from the beginning, things are different.
1. Forget Your Expectations

Most days, especially warm summer days like this one, Kousaku savored long car rides. Buildings, roads, signs, those were all delightful. But the real treat was people, and the tiny snippets of their lives that Kousaku was able to observe while passing by. A woman stops to shift the bags she holds in her hands, struggling to stop them from crashing to the ground. A man in punk clothing leans against the side of a building, cigarette in hand, nonchalantly watching each person that strolls past, desperately hoping that even _one_ of them will notice him. A kid starts to run into the street, barely stopped in time by a quick, firm grasp from their parent, never for a moment realizing how close they came to death. Those were the sorts of things that Kousaku loved to watch. Yet today, they all passed him by without his notice, despite his weary eyes staring out the window of a quickly-moving taxi.

She was dead. His mother, the most important person in his life, was dead and gone. That was his reality now, despite how vehemently he had tried to deny it. He'd cried, of course. He'd cried until his body ached from the effort. But now, there was nothing. Just this sick, nebulous sort of numbness. Would he ever feel anything again? In the way that he used to, at least? Every emotion since her death mere days ago had felt dull, distant, disconnected. Like something outside himself was projecting them onto him.

"We're almost there, kid," the rough voice of the cab driver said, the man not even shooting Kousaku a glance. Listlessly, Kousaku's eyes moved up to gaze into the rear view mirror, taking in the man's small, beady eyes and wrinkled skin. Since the moment Kousaku gave him the address, the man had looked tense and nervous, and he had made it no secret how anxious he was to be done with this particular client. Given the man's initial reaction, Kousaku had been surprised the man even agreed to drive him.

The car came to a sudden stop, causing Kousaku's head to jerk violently forward and nearly collide with the seat in front of him. The driver practically begged him to hurry with handing over the cab fee, and the moment Kousaku closed the cab door from the outside, the man sped off as quick as his car would allow.

It didn't take Kousaku long to figure out why the driver had behaved that way. Displayed proudly next to the doors that led into the estate was a sign that proudly labelled the entire property as belonging to the Yakuza. All at once, Kousaku found himself nearly overwhelmed by fear, the emotion gripping him harder than any had since his mother's death

This _was_ the correct address, wasn't it? Pulling out his phone, he opened up a navigation app, checking the address for his current location with the address listed on the envelope he held in his other hand. They were one and the same. ...But why in the world would his mother send him to a _Yakuza_ house? Had she not known, somehow?

Taking a deep breath, he attempted to steady himself. There was only one way to find out what was going on, and it was by walking through those doors. Stuffing his phone back into his pocket, he grabbed the handle of his suitcase and gripped the envelope tight. He could do this.

Trying not to crumple the letter too much, he knocked against the large wooden doors. A moment later they opened, and a guy the size of a house stepped outside. This monster of a man gazed down at Kousaku through a pair of sunglasses, expression cold.

"Who're you?"

It took Kousaku a beat to respond, as he internally wrestled with an overly strong flight response. "K-kousaku, sir. M-my mother sent me here…" He held up the letter. In large, bold characters it read "For Ibari Oozora."

The large man's eyes widened, and a massive hand reached out to take the letter. Reluctantly, Kousaku let the letter slide from his grasp. He'd wanted to give it directly to whoever this "Ibari" was, but he valued his life too much to fight about it.

Looking the envelope over once more, the giant man stepped back and gestured for Kousaku to enter. Against his better judgement, he did so. In short order, he was led to a small waiting room and told to sit there until someone came to speak with him. He sat, despite the fact that his brain was screaming "run!" so loud that it was a miracle no one else could hear it.

At first, he'd assumed being alone would be better than continuing to be in the presence of that hulking man. And yet he quickly found that the anxiety and anticipation of sitting alone in a small room just waiting for who-knows-what to appear was somehow even worse. What if he really _did_ just run away? Would anyone try to stop him? And regardless, where would he _go_? To be honest, even if he stuck around and waited, he had no idea where he'd go afterward. His mother had requested he move to Tokyo, but had said virtually nothing about _where_ in Tokyo he should actually go. He was beginning to realize that he really should've thought this whole thing through… starting with actually looking this address up before he went to it.

The soft sound of a door sliding open removed him from his train of thought. He glanced to the side, surprised to see a beautiful girl with light blonde hair smiling back at him. Immediately all the fears building inside of him were swept away, as though his mind had to commit itself entirety in order to comprehend this sudden angel's beauty.

Her head popped back out of the room, but the door remained open. Curious, he watched as she looked from side-to-side, as though making sure no one was watching. Then, apparently satisfied, she stepped through the door and closed it behind her, taking a seat a few meters from Kousaku.

"Hi!" she said, smiling warmly. "I'm Hibari Oozora, 3rd daughter of Ibari Oozora. ...Who're you?"

Hibari. What a gorgeous name. Had he ever heard it before? He didn't think so. Oh, crap, he still needed to respond. "K-Kousaku!"  
Her smile warped a little, taking on a mischievous edge. "Just Kousaku?"

Laughing uneasily, he said, "Oh, no, Sakamoto! Kousaku Sakamoto."

Still wearing that playful smile, Hibari said, "And what're you doing in my house, Kousaku Sakamoto?"

Something about hearing his full name said in this girl's beautiful, breathy voice put butterflies in Kousaku's stomach. "O-oh, well… My, um…. My mother died." He paused, unsurprised to see the smile leave Hibari's face.

"Oh, I'm… I'm sorry to hear that." She looked away, and he wondered for a moment if she was able to relate to that particular pain. For her sake, he hoped not.

"Yeah… but she, on her deathbed-" He stopped for a moment, fighting back tears and the sob that threatened to wrack his body. Hibari sat silently, a look of sympathy upon her face. "Um, anyway... she asked me to move to Tokyo, and she gave me a letter to give to your father, Ibari. I have no idea why… I guess they knew each other?"

Recognition lit up Hibari's face. "I think you're right, actually. There's a woman from before dad married mom that he's mentioned before. They were romantically involved way, way back, I think."

Nodding, Kousaku looked away, his thoughts swirling angrily in his head once again. Mom had sent him to some Yakuza man she used to have a thing for? Why? And more importantly, why wouldn't she tell him anything about it!? His eyes found Hibari again, and these angry thoughts melted away into nothingness. After a good ten seconds of him silently staring at her, she quirked an eyebrow. He laughed, realizing how weird he'd just been. "Sorry, I just… I'm absolutely terrified to be here, honestly. Never been in or even _near_ a Yakuza house before. But your face is, I mean, you are- Ugh. It's nice to talk to someone nice like you."

That grin of hers was back in full force. "Oh, don't worry. The people around here aren't nearly as scary as they look." She sidled up next to him, getting much closer than he expected. The smell of her hair took control of his senses - sweet… a little fruity. Plum, maybe? Whatever it was, it sent a shiver down his spine. The look in her eyes told him that she knew _exactly_ how she was making him feel, and that she was enjoying every second of it. Smiling wide, she said, "Besides, if anyone gives you trouble, _I've_ got your back."

"Hibari! Dammit, Hibari, where are you!?" shouted an angry voice from some other part of the house. Instantly, Hibari hopped onto her feet and walked the few paces between her and the door. Pulling it open and taking a step through, she cast one last look at Kousaku - a smile and a wink - before closing the door and leaving him alone once again.

Kousaku had heard the phrase "love at first sight" before, but until now he'd always thought it was bs. Admittedly, even now he wasn't sure if what he was feeling was _love_ , necessarily, but it was a more intense crush than any he'd felt before, that much was certain. Part of him felt sure that, no matter the danger involved in living here, it was worth it if it meant getting to see her again.

That sense of certainty slowly drained as the minutes ticked by, replaced by the familiar sense of unease and rising panic from before. By the time the door slid open again, Kousaku was once more contemplating running for it.

Unlike last time, it was no beautiful girl that stuck her head in - instead, it was a middle-aged man, who looked at Kousaku like he was none too happy to see him. The man stepped fully into the room, and though he wasn't as big or as tall as the man from earlier, his presence was arguably even more intimidating.

Brandishing the envelope Kousaku had brought like a weapon, the man said, "So. She was _your_ mother?"

It was hard to breathe right now. Had it been this hot in here before? "Y-yes, sir," he replied, his whole body shaking.

Crashing down to his knees, the man set the letter aside and grabbed hold of Kousaku's hands. Staring at Kousaku with a determined expression and tears brimming in his eyes, the man said, his voice much softer now, "Your mother was one of the most amazing women I ever had the fortune to know. I knew nothing of her passing until your letter, and I assure you…" He stopped, taking a moment to compose himself. "Her loss weighs _heavily_ on my soul."

This was _not_ how Kousaku had expected the situation to go. He appreciated the man's heartfelt words, which had brought him near tears again himself, but he still didn't know who in the world this was. Ibari, hopefully.

As though reading his mind, the man let Kousaku's hands go. "I am Ibari Oozora, as you may have guessed, and I assure you, I am _more_ than happy to honor your mother's last request."

Kousaku blinked and stared. "Um… you mean that I move to Tokyo…?"

Ibari chuckled, a deep, rumbling sort of thing. "Partly. Did you not read the letter you were so kind to bring to me in person?" Kousaku shook his head. He'd thought about it, but his mother hadn't asked him to, so it felt like it would have been… wrong. "I see, I see. Well, my boy, the letter says many things, and one of those things is a request that I provide you a home here in Tokyo." He laughed again, smiling wide. "And I know of no better home than my own!"

For a moment, all Kousaku could do was stare, mouth hanging open. When he finally managed to pull himself together, he bowed deeply multiple times. "T-thank you! Thank you so much! That's so good of you!" Determination gripped his own face now, as he proclaimed, "I promise I'll be the best houseguest you've ever had!"

Another big, hearty laugh shook the room. Slapping the side of Kousaku's arm, Ibari said, "Such a great attitude! We'll get along just fine, you and I!" Getting to his feet, Ibari flung the door to the hall open, and gestured for Kousaku to follow. "C'mon, son, dinner should be just about ready, and I'd love for you to meet the rest of the family!"

A while later, Kousaku sat at a giant dining table covered in plates of delicious-looking food. Next to him was a young red-headed girl, and across from him were two older women women with dark hair. Ibari sat at the head of the table, and across from him was Hibari, as stunning as ever.

"So Dad, who's this?" said one of the girls across from Kousaku, the one with shoulder-level black hair and parted bangs.

Finishing yet another swig of the sake bottle that he'd been holding since the moment he sat down, Ibari peered over at Kousaku, like he'd forgotten the boy was there. "Ah, yes! Well, this is Harue-san's son, Kousaku!" All four children, even the young one sitting next to him, nodded in recognition, to Kousaku's surprise. "She has, unfortunately…. passed." He took another long drink from the sake bottle; it had to be near empty by now. "Her final wish was that I take her son in, and so, this wonderful young man will be staying with us!"

All four children seemed excited by this news, to varying degrees. The two women across from Kousaku started whispering to each other, that signature smirk popped up on Hibari's face again, and the little girl next to him was literally bouncing in her seat.

"Introduce us, introduce us!" she shouted, beaming.

"Of course!" Ibari said, swaying in his seat. He pointed at one of the women across from Kousaku - the older-looking one with long black hair and bangs. "That's Tsugumi, my eldest daughter!"

With a small nod and a friendly smile, Tsugumi said, "Nice to meet you!"

"She recently left art school, for a job as a professional illustrator!" Raising the bottle of sake toward her, he said, "Doing her father proud!"

Blushing, Tsugumi said, "Daddy, stop it!" Her heart wasn't in the admonishment.

"Then there's my second daughter, dear Tsubame!" He gestured toward the girl next to Tsugumi, who smiled back pleasantly. "She's a third year in high school, and her grades make me as proud of her as I am of her older sister!"

" _Dad_..." Tsubame said, grinning from ear-to-ear. Looking over at Kousaku, she said, "I'm assuming you're going to go to school, huh?" Kousaku shrugged, then nodded. He hadn't thought about it, but he didn't see why he wouldn't. "Cool. So yeah, we'll be going to school together."

"My turn, my turn!" the girl next to Kousaku shouted, kicking her feet into the underside of the table.

With another resounding chuckle, Ibari said, "Ah, yes, and my youngest daughter, little Suzume! She's the smartest ten year old I've ever met!"

Raising an eyebrow, Suzume said, "Daddy, how many ten year olds have you actually met?"

"Enough!" he said, laughing and swaying so much that, for a moment, Kousaku worried he'd actually tip over.

When the laughter died down, Kousaku's eyes naturally wandered over to the only daughter that hadn't yet been introduced. But the seconds flew by, and still the only sounds to be heard were those of the people around him eating their food. However, Hibari wasn't among those that making sounds. Instead, she sat silently, fuming, glaring across the table at her oblivious father. Kousaku cast about for a reason why Ibari would be ignoring one of his kids. Had he just forgotten…? He _was_ pretty drunk. Perhaps if Kousaku just asked…

"So, what about your _other_ daughter?" Kousaku said, gesturing her way.

At virtually the same time as Kousaku, Hibari shouted, "Just gonna try and skip over me, huh, Dad?"

Wrinkles creased Ibari's brow. He sighed deeply, looking at neither of them. Then, slowly, his sunken eyes moved upward, fixing on Hibari. His frown was so wide that it crossed nearly his entire face. With another heavy sigh, he cast his steely gaze on Kousaku. "He is my-"

" _She_."

His gaze shifted back to Hibari, where it sat, unmoving, for an uncomfortable length of time. Finally, after what must have been nearly 30 seconds, it returned to Kousaku. With a third sigh, the largest yet, he said, "Hibari is my… other child."

The gears in Kousaku's mind struggled to turn, unsure of how to process what was happening. Ibari's gaze turned back to Hibari, and the two proceeded to silently glare daggers at one another, which did little to aid Kousaku in understanding the situation. Hibari was… _not_ a girl? Her father didn't seem to think so, at least... But why would that be…? It was impossible to be sure right now, but one thing he _was_ sure of was that he'd unwittingly stepped into the middle of an argument that had been going on between those two for a very long time.

The rest of dinner passed by in silence. Very awkward silence. When everyone was finished, Ibari asked Tsubame to escort Kousaku to the spare bedroom. Both kids seemed eager to take the opportunity to leave the room.

On the way, Kousaku's mind continued to work toward figuring out what exactly was going on. Luck wasn't on his side, though, or perhaps it was a lack of life experience. Perhaps Tsubame could help.

"Hey, so… about Hibari," he started.

Giving a sigh remarkably similar to her father's, Tsubame said, "Yeah, thought you'd ask about that." Pinching her nose for a moment, she turned to stare at Kousaku, clearly annoyed. "Look, I don't really wanna… get into it. But the gist is that he's my brother who's been insisting he's my sister for years now." Why? Why in the world would someone do that? It didn't make a bit of sense to Kousaku. You couldn't change your gender, so why would someone try to lie about it, especially to their own family, who would obviously know the truth? Though, he had to admit… Hibari did look _a lot_ like a girl. He'd probably have no trouble convincing other people. He _had_ convinced Kousaku.

The fact that Kousaku had felt an intense attraction to someone that was actually a guy hit him suddenly, like a smack to the back of the head. That gorgeous woman was… a guy. Shit… But, well, it didn't _mean_ anything, that Kousaku had felt that way. Afterall, Hibari was _very_ convincing, so it was hardly Kousaku's fault… Still, though. Shooting a glaring Tsubame's way, he said, "Why the hell does your dad let him dress like that!? And wear his hair like that, and smell like that, and-" He stopped, realizing Tsubame was looking at him strangely. ...Probably for the 'smell' comment, now that he was thinking about it. "I, uh, I mean…"

Shaking her head, Tsubame cut him off. "I don't need to know." Again, a sigh. "Look, we've tried, okay? But there's no stopping him with this thing. You cut his hair while he's sleeping, he buys a wig that he manages to make look just as good as the real thing. You take his girly clothes away, and he just steals mine. You call him your 'brother', or your 'son', or 'he', and he 'corrects' you until you give up. It's just… _easier_ , to let him look like that. And to avoid those words. Too much of a headache to fight about it constantly." As though illustrating the point, she put a finger to her temple, lightly massaging it.

The only thing Kousaku could think was ' _why?_ ' Why would someone be so obsessed with something like that? But he could tell Tsubame didn't have an answer, and that she really didn't want to talk to him anymore, either. So he thanked her for escorting him and stepped into his new room.

It was bigger than he'd expected, and furnished with a nice desk, chair, and bed. Looking around, he was fairly sure it was actually bigger than his old room, though not by a lot. Leaning his suitcase against the bed, he sat down, surprised by how soft it felt. They _were_ Yakuza, though, so he supposed it made sense they could afford the comfiest of beds. ... _Yakuza_ , sheesh… he'd nearly forgotten.

The door across the way suddenly slid open, giving Kousaku a small scare. He'd assumed it was a closet! Instead, it was apparently a door into the next room, which he assumed was Hibari's, since she was the one standing in the doorway. Crap - _he_. It was going to take a while to get used to that… except Tsubame had told him to try to avoid actually using it _around_ Hibari, so… Ugh, his head hurt.

"They're wrong, you know," Hibari said, arms crossed and a great deal of irritation lining her face. She didn't look directly at Kousaku at first, but after a few beats of silence, her head turned his way. "About me, I mean. I _am_ a girl. Doesn't matter what I was born as, or what my body's like."

There was _definitely_ an actual headache forming now, Kousaku was sure of it. "What… what d'you mean, it doesn't matter? How could that _not_ matter?"

Rolling her eyes, Hibari stepped into the room and grabbed the nearby chair. She plopped down into it, resting her chin on her hand and staring directly at Kousaku. "I'm not going to say this a lot, I've already said it ad nauseum to the rest of the people in this house." Looking away, she mumbled, "Suzume's the only one who seems to actually get it." She turned her eyes back to Kousaku. "Being a girl has a lot more to do with the mind than with the body. My mind's a girl's, so I _am_ a girl."

Though he was trying, _really_ trying, to wrap his mind around this, it just conflicted with _so_ many things that he'd been taught about how the world worked. It was nearly impossible to reconcile Hibari's views with views that Kousaku had always assumed were common sense. She seemed smart, but was she really smarter than _everyone_? Smarter than _common sense_?

"I wanna understand you, but it just doesn't make sense," he said with a dramatic shrug.

Hibari's gaze went cold, and Kousaku worried for a moment that she was about to yell at him like she had her father. Instead, she stood abruptly, and just as abruptly her expression shifted into a sultry smile. The suddenness of the change struck fear into Kousaku's heart, which escalated wildly as Hibari sauntered toward him, a sway in her hips.

"You want me to show you _exactly_ how much of a woman I am?" she said, her voice pitched lower, sexier, her tongue flitting across her lips tantalizingly.

Wait, but, she's… he? Wow but she really seems like a 'she', and...

Brain short-circuiting, Kousaku leaped up, grabbed the covers on his bed and then dove beneath them, as though they could shield him from the world outside their reach. "N-n-no, I'm okay, thanks!" he said, his voice undoubtedly muffled to Hibari.

Sharp laughter pierced the air, and he poked his head out to see that Hibari was openly laughing at him, a finger pointed his way mockingly. Wiping a tear from her eye, she grinned sadistically. "Oh, you're going to be _fun_."

With that, she left, practically slamming the door behind her. Kousaku wasn't sure how long he stared at that door, but he knew it was a lot longer than he should have. When he finally switched the lights off and crawled back into bed, he found sleep nearly impossible to grasp. His mind wouldn't stop racing, hopping back and forth between his mother, Hibari, suddenly living with Yakuza, Hibari, the strange yet mostly friendly Oozora family, and Hibari.

At some point, sleep finally found him. And yet, even in dreams, his mind continued to turn to the blonde goddess sleeping in the room right next to his. He didn't know it, but outside the realm of dreams, he was smiling.


	2. A Need to Worry

Beep….. Beep… Beep. BEEP. BEEEEEEE- Hibari smacked her phone to the ground, then groaned when that, as usual, did nothing to dull or stop the noise. Flopping an arm off the bed, she reached for where the phone _probably_ was... but felt only carpet. Groaning even louder, she flipped over, her face smooshed into the mattress, arm straining as it felt around her room's floor in a semi-circular pattern. Finally, her fingers clasped around the familiar rectangle that was her phone. Pulling it up, she angrily swiped the alarm off and tossed it back to the ground.

Flipping onto her back, she stared angrily at the ceiling, as though demanding it answer for the indignities she had suffered. It remained as disrespectfully silent as ever. She sighed; nothing would make her happier right now than to go back to sleep… but she couldn't. Daily bathing was mandatory as far as she was concerned, and she couldn't shorten the experience very much while still maintaining its value. With a weary sigh, she pushed herself up and out of bed, taking care not to step on her phone on her way out of the room.

As she passed Kousaku's door in the hallway, she shot a glare its way. She'd dared to hope that he wouldn't be an idiot like most when it came to her gender, but of _course_ she wouldn't be so lucky. At least he was easy to mess with. It wasn't much of a consolation prize, but it was something.

A loud, high-pitched scream tore through the air. Hibari smirked. They must've sent Seiji, the largest and most intimidating of the two family guards, to wake Kousaku up. She _almost_ felt sorry for him. Sweet as he was, Seiji's face was _not_ a pleasant sight to wake up to.

"Suga, _stop_ … Daddy's probably already awake…"

Tsugumi's familiar voice whispered urgently, but audibly, from somewhere within her room. The door was partially ajar, but Hibari was kind enough not to peek. She even tapped it nearly closed, to help stifle any sounds. But then again, she didn't _need_ to peek. She _knew_ what was going on in there. Suga and Tsugumi had been flirting for… months, at least, if not years. Sugako was one of the two Yakuza guards that lived in-house with the Oozoras, to better insure the family's protection. She was younger than Seiji, still somewhere in her late 20s, Hibari was fairly sure. Generally, she was the more serious of the two guards, and certainly the most level-headed. Yet, unbeknownst to Hibari's father, Suga had been harboring a crush on his eldest daughter for a long time now. And, at some point, Tsugumi started returning the sentiment. Now the two of them awkwardly flirted day and night, barely managing to keep their obvious attraction to each other secret from Tsugumi's father, who would undoubtedly go into a fit of rage if he found out.

Honestly though, good for them, as far as Hibari was concerned. When she was younger, she certainly wouldn't have guessed that her older sister swung that way, but who was she to judge? It wasn't _her_ thing, but if it made her sister happy, then that was great. But she couldn't help but feel like it was just a matter of time before her father found out and the whole situation blew up in their faces. Hibari had no idea what would happen after that, and she really wasn't eager to find out. Suga would almost certainly be out of a job, at the _least_ … and losing a job when you worked for the Yakuza was typically a deadly affair.

Reaching the washroom, Hibari nearly walked right into her youngest sister, Suzume, who was sleepily brushing her teeth. In fact, now that Hibari was looking directly at her, it seemed like the redheaded girl might've actually fallen back asleep, her toothbrush still in her mouth. Smiling at her favorite sister, Hibari shook the young girl lightly, saying in a soft voice, "Suzume. _Suzume_. Wake up, silly."

Eyes flying open, Suzume stared at Hibari in the mirror, her toothpaste-covered mouth breaking out into a smile. "Big sis!" she shouted, spitting toothpaste everywhere.

Giggling, Hibari grabbed a hand towel and wiped her sister's face. "You fell asleep brushing your teeth! Did you go to bed late again?"

"Chie kept sending me funny videos!" Suzume explained, grinning wide.

Hibari shook her head, but smiled warmly. "You've really got to start telling her that's it late and you need to sleep. You gotta get your beauty sleep!"

With a comic gasp and shocked expression, Suzume said, "Are you saying I'm _not_ beautiful!?"

That got a good laugh from Hibari, who immediately swept her little sister up in a hug. "I would _never_." Setting Suzume back down, she said, "Hey, could you pop out for a sec? Gotta strip down to go wash up."

Nodding happily, Suzume skipped out of the room, allowing Hibari her privacy. Tossing her nightgown off and into the clothing bin, Hibari grabbed a towel and opened the door to the furo.

Why couldn't her other sisters be like that? When Hibari had explained the whole 'trans' thing to Suzume, the girl had been _instantly_ accepting, and had shown _nothing_ but support since. But all _Tsugumi_ did was try her hardest to avoid the topic altogether, and _Tsubame_ was actively hostile about it - when she wasn't too tired to argue, at least. Hibari sighed. _Whatever_. Eventually they'd either have to accept it, _or_ accept that Suzume was the only sister Hibari was ever going to visit after high school.

Sitting on a stool, Hibari groped lightly at her own breasts, trying to ascertain if they'd grown. She frowned; no such luck. Not that she had reason to be surprised - her older sisters weren't much better endowed, truth be told. Still, she couldn't help but wish hers would grow a little more. At least her butt still seemed to be growing, if the newfound tightness of practically all of her pants was anything to go by.

Mind wandering, Hibari started properly washing herself, paying little attention to her surroundings - at least until the door behind her slid open. Her head and torso swiveled around to help her identify the intruder: none other than a very red and wide-eyed Kousaku. His eyes briefly flicked down at her chest, though they flicked back up just as quickly. Hibari's eyes flicked down his entire naked body, then back to his still reddening face. Stuttering and stumbling, he backed up through the doorway, tossing the door closed as soon as he was able.

Well that had certainly been… unexpected. Wait, _shit_! Leaping to her feet and wrapping her body with a towel, Hibari ran after Kousaku as fast as her feet would carry her. Flinging the door open, she saw him disappearing into the hall, his clothes thrown on haphazardly. Throwing her whole body forward, she desperately stretched her arm toward him. Her fingers barely managed to wrap around his wrist, and as soon as they did, she yanked him backwards as hard as she could, easily forcing him back into the washroom. Tossing him behind her and slamming the door closed to cut off his escape, she rounded on him, standing tall over his crumpled form.

"You!" she cried, panting, finger pointing and chest heaving. He didn't respond, but at least he looked appropriately terrified. "You saw… _them_?" She gestured emphatically at her currently covered breasts.

Kousaku nodded, head shaking like a bobblehead toy.

" _Dammit_ …" she said, putting a hand to her face. Glaring with all her might, she shouted, "Why the hell didn't you knock or something!?"

"I-I-I…." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Tsubame said it was empty…"

Hibari felt her eye twitch. "She _did_ , did she?"

"I-I mean, technically there was a 'probably' in there, so I still _should_ have knocked…"

She bent down, leaning in so close that their noses almost touched. " _You think_!?" Rearing back to her full height, she looked away from him, mind whirring. How was she going to handle this… He seemed like an easily intimidated sort... Direct would probably do it. Fixing him with the steeliest gaze she could muster, she said, "I _demand_ you keep your mouth shut about what you saw. Don't you say a _word_ to anyone else in this house."

Despite his fear, confusion overtook Kousaku's face. "W-wait… keep it shut about _what_? That I saw you-?"

"About _these_!" she said, gesturing again at her chest. Seeing that this only confused him further, she rolled her eyes and let loose another sigh. "Look, you know… _about_ me, right? About what most of my family says I am?"

His eyebrows raised. "O-oh, yeah…"

...Had he actually _forgotten_? Whatever, there was no time. "Well, that being the case, doesn't it seem _odd_ to you that I have these?" Slowly, he nodded, as though he was unsure this was a question that she actually wanted him to answer. "Normally I wouldn't, but thanks to Suga, I've got a doctor prescribing me medication to make it happen." Kousaku's expression clearly indicated that he'd had _no_ idea that was a thing that could happen. Which was hardly surprising… cis people were ignorant about _a lot_ of things. "But the rest of my family _doesn't_ know. _Can't_ know, okay? _Especially_ dad. So you need to _keep your damn mouth shut_ , got it?"

"I will," he said, quicker and more firmly than she'd expected. Maybe he wasn't _quite_ as bad as she'd thought.

"Well… well good," she said, her face softening. Extending a hand, she helped him back to his feet, taking note of the small portion of his chest peeking out from under his shirt. A devious thought came to her mind - one she couldn't help acting on. He _had_ seen her breasts, afterall.

"I-I'll just leave you to it, then," he said, hurrying toward the door.

She smirked. " _Sure_. But before you go, I just wanted to say... Nice bod." Taken off guard, he looked back at her in shock. _Perfect_. She flicked her eyes downward, to his crotch, making sure he knew _exactly_ what part of that 'bod' she was referring to. His face, which had lost most of its color, flushed bright red all over again, and he scampered out of the room without another word.

Though Hibari, Kousaku and Tsubame all walked to school together, the trip was mostly taken in silence. As they drew closer to the school building, Tsubame increased her pace, putting distance between them without explanation. Not that Hibari needed it - this was far from the first time. A glance Kousaku's way was enough to confirm that Tsubame's abandonment was not understood by the both of them, however.

"She's embarrassed to be seen around me," Hibari explained, leaning in toward Kousaku with her hands behind her back.

His eyebrows shot up. "Oh."

Not the _sharpest_ knife in the drawer, was he? It was almost endearing.

Looking back at her, Kousaku said, "How… how _are_ they, at school? About your whole... _thing_?"

The widest of grins crossed Hibari's face. "Oh, they don't know. Everyone at school sees me as the girl I am!"

"Hibari!" a soft voice shouted from somewhere behind them. Couldn't be _far_ behind… that pitiful excuse for a yell couldn't have carried over much of a distance.

Swiveling around just as her Rie finished running up, Hibari smiled brightly at her shy friend. Rie was a pretty young woman with a sweet, round face and long dark hair. "Who's this?" she asked, looking to Kousaku and smiling nervously.

Draping an arm across Kousaku's shoulders, Hibari said, "Ah, this here's Kousaku Sakamoto. He's staying with my family now."

"N-nice to meet you," Rie said, bowing. "I'm Rie Kawai, Hibari's best friend."

" _Best_ friend?" Hibari said, cocking an eyebrow.

Happy smile disintegrating to dust, Rie's expression quickly turned to absolute mortification. "A-are we not-? I thought you'd said- I-I'm _so_ sorry!"

Laughing, Hibari tugged her arm away from Kousaku so she could pull Rie into a hug. "I'm joking, you dork. Of _course_ you're my best friend!"

Aside from a few tears in her eyes, Rie looked incredibly relieved, if a little embarrassed.

The three of them continued into the school, Hibari and Rie chatting animatedly about nothing in particular. When she reached her locker, Hibari was unsurprised to find it stuffed to the brim with love letters. Again. With a small sigh, she pulled them all out, and dumped the lot of them into the garbage, where they belonged. She caught Kousaku staring at her in surprise, but the only explanation she offered him was a shrug.

A few minutes later, Hibari sat in her usual seat in homeroom, watching with mild disinterest as Iwasaki-sensei introduced Kousaku to the class.

"He's here with us now after his mother died of a _mysterious_ illness," she explained, throwing an overly serious expression at the class.

"S-sensei. There was nothing mysterious-"

"And your father!" Iwasaki-sensei continued, wrenching her head toward Kousaku, long dark hair swishing along with the violent head motion. "What happened to _him_!?"

Looking intensely uncomfortable, Kousaku said, "I… I don't know? They divorced a long time ago-"

"Ah, so he was an adulterous scoundrel."

"W-what!?"

Giggling a little to herself, Hibari shook her head and pulled out her phone. This was far from the first time she'd been witness to one of Iwasaki-sensei's stories, and they always went a similar direction.

Oh, two new messages! One from Rie, and another from her classmate Shiina. Glancing his way, she was unsurprised to see him looking back at her, his eyebrows raising and lowering in acknowledgement. He was a tall, lanky guy with a long, pointed face, his dark hair cut short save for the messy pompadour hanging low over his eyebrows. Smiling softly, Hibari looked back at her phone. To her amusement and slight irritation, both messages were about Kousaku, and were asking the same basic question. Were Kousaku and Hibari a "thing"?

Fingers tapping quickly, Hibari sent her answers in short order. To Rie, "Hell no." To Shiina, "Maybe. Jealous? ;P"

Looking back Shiina's way, she grinned at the scowl he was suddenly wearing. _Definitely_ jealous.

"And then he rounded on you, falsely accusing you of trying to strike him, and threatening to have you dragged off by the police!" Iwasaki-sensei said, continuing her absurd tale of Kousaku's apparently abusive father.

"S-sensei… that didn't…"

Completely ignoring him, she continued on, "That's when your mother knew that she had no choice _but_ to divorce him. She'd allowed herself to suffer all this time, thinking it was what was best for the kids, but now she could see that _you_ weren't safe from him either!"

Tuning out again, Hibari glanced back at her phone. No response from Rie, which wasn't surprising. Shiina, on the other hand, had responded as expected, by offering to take Hibari on a date. She replied with, "How much are you willing to spend? Exact yen amount, please." She didn't expect to hear back from him.

"Then he tried to sue for custody of your older brother, even though your brother was about to graduate from high school!"

"Sensei, I'm an only child!" Kousaku practically screamed. "The divorce happened when I was a little kid, and I'm _pretty_ sure it was _amicable_!"

Hibari glanced about the room. Unsurprisingly, several students were taking the opportunity for a quick nap. Shiina was grimacing at his phone, sweating. Rie was somewhere behind Hibari, and… oh, there was Kaori, glaring at Hibari and looking away as soon as she made eye contact. A girl with long, dark, wavy hair, and bangs practically to her eyeballs, Kaori typically wore a notable amount of makeup and the most fashionable clothes she could find. And for _some_ reason that Hibari didn't care enough to figure out, she _hated_ Hibari. Fortunately, she was typically fairly harmless in expressing that hatred, which was perhaps the main reason Hibari didn't pay her much mind.

Finally having wrapped up her little melodrama, Iwasaki-sensei allowed Kousaku to go take a seat. To Hibari's surprise, as Kousaku walked down the aisle Kaori waved him over, whispered something to him, and then tossed a satisfied smirk Hibari's way when Kousaku left. ...The _hell_ did she think she was doing?

Pulling her phone back out, she hurriedly typed out a message to Kousaku and practically slammed the 'send' button. "Kaori wanted to talk to you? What was _that_ about?"

His response came quickly. "She told me to 'be careful' around you. Redundant, tbh. I figured that out last night."

She couldn't help but giggle a bit at that. Maybe he _could_ learn. Putting her phone away, she let herself relax. Nothing to worry about. ...Still… she couldn't help but feel like Kaori had stepped out of line with that one. Kousaku hadn't even been at school for a full hour, and already the girl was trying to draw him into her inane schemes? ...Hibari needed to talk to her.

A few hours later, at lunch, Hibari approached Kaori and her usual posse of friends. There were four particular girls that always seemed to hang around Kaori, and though Hibari didn't know their names, she'd seen them enough times to recognize them by sight. One had really short black hair, liked to wear headbands, and typically wore shirts that had some sort of saying on them. Today, it was 'Kiss Me', in English letters. Another had shoulder-length brown hair that she usually kept up in a ponytail, and bangs that were nearly as long as Kaori's, if less full. The third was a big girl, in both the height _and_ weight departments, with poofy brown hair and a perpetual glare.

Ignoring all of them, Hibari went directly toward Kaori, arms crossed. The other girl stared at her in mild surprise. "Hey, Kaori. I know you've got your whole… _thing_ with me. But lay off Kousaku. He just got here, and he's been through a lot. Don't drag him into anything, okay?" Hibari tried to maintain a firm, but not unkind tone as she talked, but the creeping grin on Kaori's face made it increasingly difficult.

"How _dare_ you come up to her and-" started the big curly-haired girl, her voice falling away as Kaori casually raised a hand to stop her.

"It's fine, Kenko," Kaori said, her smirk gone and tone even. "If Hibari wants us to lay off the guy, then we will." Giving Hibari a short bow, she smiled pleasantly, no hint of malice or trickery in her face.

Returning the bow, Hibari still couldn't help but feel suspicious of the situation. It was probably the way Kaori looked at her now - a friendly smile, rather than her usual glare. Hibari would _definitely_ need to keep an eye out for Kaori still, but _hopefully_ there was no longer a need to worry about Kousaku.

There was _definitely_ a need to worry about Kousaku.

Approaching him after school under the assumption that they'd be walking home together, she was shocked to hear him say that he couldn't. The reason? "Kaori asked me to meet her at this nearby café."

Instantly furious, Hibari did her best to hide that fact, managing to do a middling job of it. "Kousaku, she's… she's _really_ untrustworthy! You _shouldn't_ -"

"Like _you're_ any better?" he said, glaring back at her. "No one at this school even knows what's _actually_ going on with your gender, not even your supposed _best friend_ , but you're gonna point fingers?"

That was _different_ , and he damn well knew it. Or he _should_ have, anyway. Fists clenching, Hibari said, "She's only going out with you to get at _me_! You've _gotta_ see that, right?"

He shrugged. "So? I've still gotta give it a shot."

" _Why_!?"

Rolling his eyes, Kousaku said, "You wouldn't understand. Long story short, I've got a bet to win, and I haven't got a big window to do it."

Incredulous, Hibari found herself without an immediate response. How did one respond to something so blatantly idiotic? Before she could formulate anything, Kaori herself walked up, smiling wide.

"Oh, _Hibari_ , how nice to see you!" she said, a glint in her eye. "Well, we'd better be off, huh, Kousaku?"

Nodding, the two started walking away, Kaori gleefully looping an arm around Kousaku's. All Hibari could do was silently stare, literally shaking in rage. Kaori had gone _too far_ this time, dragging an innocent idiot like Kousaku into the middle of some stupid feud that Hibari still didn't understand. But she _wouldn't_ get away with it. Hibari wouldn't _allow_ it. One way or another, Hibari _was_ going to put a stop to Kaori's plans. And more than that, she was going to make the girl wish she'd never picked a fight with _Hibari Oozora_.


	3. The Perfect Plan

That evening, after her perfect café date with that Kousaku boy, Kaori returned home, cackling gleefully to herself. Her plan was going _perfectly_. Hibari, Kaori's most powerful rival, was _so_ jealous after school that it was radiating off of her in waves. That jealousy would almost certainly have turned to rage by now, and Kaori couldn't wait to get a glimpse of it tomorrow. It would only be a matter of time until Hibari exploded in jealous rage at school, instantly ruining her image and her popularity. Then Kaori would step in to fill the gap, claiming her rightful place as the most popular girl at Wakaba High. It would be _glorious_.

Positively _bursting_ to inform her parents of her most promising scheme yet, Kaori tossed open the door to her house and removed her shoes as quickly as she could manage. Surely they would be just as thrilled as her about this ingenious new plot!

The smell of cooking food wafted through the air, adding to her ecstatic disposition. But that mood quickly soured, as she was faced with the reality of her parents' less-than-enthused reactions to her big news.

"It's a decent start," her mother said, staring at her with that typical critical look in her eye. Kaori's mother was the pinnacle of beauty and grace, with long, straight, black hair, perfectly applied makeup, and the most fashionable outfits that money could buy. Her gaze could make even the strongest of warriors quiver fearfully in their boots. "Even if this plan actually works, which, of course, would be a first, it will take _much_ more than that to truly overtake Hibari in popularity."

Finding it difficult to maintain eye contact, Kaori stared silently at the bowl in front of her. Of course her mother was right… it was foolish to think that _this_ plan was good enough to defeat Hibari once and for all. A plan that would take out Hibari all by itself would require a more intelligent mind than the one Kaori possessed.

"You're running out of time, you know," her father said, sitting across from her and pointing with his chopsticks. Of course she knew; she was reminded every day. Her father was a rather plain-looking man, especially compared to her mother, with a nondescript haircut and a light beard. To make up for this lackluster appearance, he had proved himself more intelligent than virtually all his peers, quickly rising the ranks at the firm he worked at. "You only have one more year of high school after this one, and if it's anything like _this_ year...

Bowing, Kaori said, "Of course, Father, you're correct. As are you, Mother. Thank you for your words of wisdom; I'll be sure to reflect on them."

They both gave her a curt nod, and returned to eating. There wasn't another word said to or by Kaori at dinner that evening.

Before the start of class the next day, Kaori gathered her three friends - Kenko, Naoka and Michiko. A few ideas had come to her last night on how to keep the ball rolling with her scheme, and she was eager to make sure her friends knew what roles they had to play.

"As you're all aware, yesterday Kou…Kouse…."

"Kousaku," said Michiko, Kaori's brown-haired and most irritating friend.

With a dismissive wave, Kaori continued. "Yes, yes, Kousaka. Anyways, yesterday he and I had an absolutely _perfect_ date. He's _clearly_ head over heels for me - and we need to make sure that's _also_ clear to Hibari."

"If it's really that clear, won't she know without our help?" Michiko said, with a small smirk.

Glaring, Kaori slammed an open palm into Michiko's shoulder, pushing the other girl roughly to the side. " _Anyway_. That's where _you_ all come in. I need you three to talk about what a cute couple Kouseku and I are, within earshot of Hibari. Mention how very _into_ me he is."

"Into you in a _metaphorical_ sense?" Michiko said, still smirking and deftly dodging Kaori's retaliatory strike. Koari was beginning to resent how often Michiko managed to elude just punishment for that smart mouth of hers.

"How much embellishment do you want?" said Naoka, the short-haired girl that was also Kaori's most competent friend. Why did Kaori even bother keeping Michiko around, when Kenko and especially Naoko were so much more helpful?

"Embellish within reason," she said, still glaring at Michiko. "Nothing that would besmirch my reputation."

With an eager grin, Naoka bowed. "Of course! We would never." Standing back up to her full and significant height, she said, "No need to worry, Kaori, we've got this."

Yet again, Kaori was convinced that her plan was going _perfectly_. Naoka and Michiko's seats in class were near enough to Hibari that they could talk _just_ loud enough for her to hear, but without drawing Iwasaki-sensei's notice. Kaori _wasn't_ close enough to hear, but from her seat she could still see the scowl that overtook Hibari's face, along with the irritated glares the blonde-haired girl tossed Naoko and Michiko's way.

At one point, Hibari pulled out her phone and angrily started typing something. A minute or so later, Hibari's scowl grew tenfold as she received a response that was clearly not to her liking. Kaori had to stifle the urge to cackle; she barely managed.

Once lunch rolled around, Kaori was unsurprised and silently thrilled when Hibari marched up to her for another "talk."

"Kousaku doesn't like you as much as you and your friends seem to think, you know," Hibari declared, arms crossed. The waves of hate emanating from her were almost tangible.

Playing it cool, Kaori feigned mild concern. "Oh? What makes you say that?"

Sighing in frustration, Hibari said, "He's only dating you because of some stupid bet he made with a friend back in Kyushu." Oh, was that where he was from? Kaori had just assumed he was a Tokyo native, like most people at this school seemed to be. "He would've gone out with _any_ girl that asked him."

Stepping up to stand next to Kaori, Michiko said, "So why didn't _you_?" Judging by her simultaneously confused and outraged expression, Hibari had not been remotely prepared for that sort of question. Ah yes, _that_ was why Kaori kept Michiko around.

"B-because I'm not _interested_ in- You don't-" Snapping her mouth closed, Hibari took a deep breath. "This isn't about _me_ , this is about _Kaori_ being used by _Kousaku_! He doesn't actually care, he just wants-"

"To go with me to the movies tonight?" Kaori finished, adding a sinister smile for the proper emphasis. "Yes, I know, he told me as much himself." She'd been waiting the entire conversation to play that particular card, and it was clear from the shock and fury upon Hibari's face that she'd picked the perfect moment.

Turning on her heel, Hibari spat, "Fine, I don't care," and stomped off, everything about her body language indicating the exact opposite of her words. Images of Kaori - victorious, beautiful and popular - flashed in her mind. She was _so close_.

The evening's dinner and movie date went just as perfectly as the café date the night before. Kousaku was _undoubtedly_ head-over-heels for her, and soon his love would be _impossible_ for Hibari to deny. Then her anger would boil over into madness, and the utter destruction of her reputation. Kaori couldn't _wait_ to bask in Hibari's downfall. Victory would taste _so_ very sweet.

The first half of the next day felt familiar. Kaori briefly conferred with her friends, her friends talked up Kaori and Kousaku's relationship, and Kaori tried her best not to cackle at Hibari's increasingly upset reactions. Any moment now Hibari's anger would burst forth in an ugly display, Kaori was _sure_ of it.

At lunch, Kaori and her crew gathered in the hallway, talking amongst themselves about nothing in particular as they waited for Hibari to pass by. Soon enough, the target was within sight. It was time for Kaori's final attack.

"He was so _affectionate_ , too!" she said to the group, much louder than was needed. "At the movie, he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close whenever I got scared." This was completely untrue, of course, but Kousaku wasn't around to dispute it, so it hardly mattered. A brief glance told her it was working, too: Hibari had stopped, and was looking her way, fists clenched. The gun was cocked - time to pull the trigger. "And then, as the credits rolled..." She giggled. "He _kissed_ me!"

A sharp wail pierced the ears of everyone in the hallway, instantly drawing every head towards it's source - Hibari Oozora. The blonde girl's eyes were filled with tears, her body shaking, as she shouted, "I get it! You won!" Eyebrows shooting up in elated surprise, Kaori felt overwhelming joy rise within her as the moment she'd been waiting for finally arrived.

Then it all fell apart.

"He gave you his heart, so why do you have to rub it in!?" Hibari screamed, tears running down her cheeks. Covering her face with her hands, Hibari dropped to her knees, loud, ugly sobs wracking her body.

Instantly, every nearby girl save for Kaori and her friends flocked to Hibari, bending down and offering words of comfort, one even wrapping an arm around Hibari's shoulders. One of the girls that couldn't get close enough to offer comfort instead turned toward Kaori, shooting her a heated glare. "Just leave her alone, you monster!" the girl cried, holding out a hand as if to ward the horrorstruck Kaori off.

Time froze and the world began to tilt, throwing everything off balance. Kaori's eyes moved slowly from the angry, accusatory girl, over to the still sobbing Hibari. Ever so slowly, Hibari's face rose to look back at her. Despite the tears still in Hibari's eyes, for the briefest of moments Kaori could _swear_ she saw a smirk cross the demon girl's lips. That smile was like an arrow shot directly through Kaori's lungs, instantly robbing her of breath.

No… _No_... _NO_! _NonononononoNO_. This _wasn't_ the way things were supposed to go! How did Hibari manage to turn it around on her _again_? How did Hibari manage to completely outplay her _again_!?

The weight of the situation gripped Kaori's chest with such ferocity that, for a moment, she worried that she, too, would crumble to her knees. But no, she couldn't - she wouldn't! Pivoting to face the other direction, she bolted down the hallway without a backward glance.

Kousaku. She _had_ to find him. That was the _only_ way to reverse this, or to at least stop the damage from spreading further. If she could cut it off with him, there'd be no more reason for the other girls to demonize her, right? Right! And regardless, it was the only solution she _had_ right now.

It didn't take her long to find him. Sitting back in home room, Kousaku appeared to be blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding just a few hallways away from him. Grabbing ahold of his arm, Kaori immediately started pulling him away, with absolutely no explanation.

"Wh-whoa, Kaori, what're-?" As he looked at her, his expression quickly shifted from mild confusion to utter surprise. "Your face is white as a sheet! What happened?"

Shaking her head emphatically, Kaori continued to tug at his arm. "It's nothing! But we _have_ to talk." She stopped tugging for a moment to look directly into his eyes. " _Please_."

Maybe it was the desperate look in her eyes or the pleading note in her voice, but Kousaku stopped resisting, and quickly rose to his feet. "Alright, lead the way."

Silently, Kaori made her way to a nearly-unused hallway on the third floor - a place she went to sometimes when she needed to be alone. It was an area she'd discovered within her first few weeks at the school last year; she had only just moved to the neighborhood, and hadn't even gained Michiko as a friend yet. She hated thinking of that time, and thus she hadn't been back here in quite a while. But she needed to talk to Kousaku _alone_.

Coming to a quick stop, she swiveled around to face Kousaku, with as determined a look as she could muster. Somewhat surprisingly, he wore a similar expression, and _more_ surprisingly, he started speaking before she could.

"Kaori, we need to talk," he said, his body tense.

Blinking rapidly for a moment, she said, "I… yes, I know. I thought-"

"It's just not going to work out between us," he continued, a bead of sweat on his brow. What… what was happening? Kaori was at a complete loss for words, which seemed to work to Kousaku's advantage. "Sorry, you're a nice girl." _Was she_? "But it feels like I'm stepping into the middle of something going on between you and Hibari." ...He didn't know the half of it. "And honestly, it seems like you're more interested in _her_ than you are in _me_."

Kaori's mind, which had been floating along in a mild daze as Kousaku spoke, suddenly screeched to a halt. " _WHAT_!?" she shouted, eyes bugging out of her head as the full weight of his implication fell upon her like the wave of a tsunami.

Wincing, Kousaku took a small step backward. "I-I, um, well... Like, at the café, Hibari was pretty much the only thing you talked about. I _tried_ to steer the conversation other places, but you always circled it back." ...Had she? In truth, she remembered little about their first date. She certainly didn't remember enough to reliably refute him, even if she _knew_ he had to be wrong. "And then, at the movie, whenever I tried to whisper a comment to you, there was no response, and I'd look over and see you on your phone, endlessly refreshing Hibari's feed." With a short laugh, he added, "I was just glad we were in the back, or someone probably would've complained about your phone's light." But… but she had to see if Hibari was vagueblogging about how upset she was! It was important to know the _moment_ it happened…

"I… I don't-"

Reaching a hand out to lay on Kaori's shoulder, Kousaku said, "Hey, look… It's fine. I'm new to trying to understand that whole sort of… lifestyle. But I'm not going to jud-"

Slapping his hand away as forcefully as she could manage, Kaori stepped back, a look of utter contempt and disgust upon her face. "H-how _dare_ you!? I am _not_ -! Not a… I'm not _like that_!"

Though he seemed a little hurt and surprised about her slap, Kousaku seemed less than convinced by her denials. "Fine, fine. Look, that doesn't matter anyway. I just needed to say that we're done. I wish you well, but no more dates, okay?"

"As if I have _any_ desire to go on another date with a vile monster like _you_!" she practically screamed, turning on her heel and stomping away, fists clenched tight. Her only hope was that she'd turned quickly enough that he hadn't seen the tears in her eyes.

During the rest of the day, Kaori did her best to ignore the glares she got from various other girls. She also ignored every attempt made by her three friends to comfort her, and even ignored them when they just wanted to talk. There was _nothing_ she wanted to say to them right now, and there was _definitely_ nothing she wanted to _hear_ from them right now. A few times she glanced over at Hibari, Kousaku's words repeating in her head despite how much she tried to push them away. One of these times, Hibari looked back at her, and the cocky grin the blonde-haired girl shot her direction made her decide to avoid eye contact with other people altogether for the rest of that day.

That evening, she didn't speak a word to her parents, which they didn't seem to notice. After dinner, she immediately went to her room and pulled out her diary. The small, worn notebook hadn't been used in months, but she still knew exactly where to turn to for a blank page. As soon as it was open, she began scribbling furiously, pressing the gel pen so hard into the page that she wouldn't be surprised to see it had stained the next ten pages.

Beneath a similar line about Hibari, Kaori wrote the words, " _I_ _vow_ _to destroy Kousaku Sakamoto before I finish high school._ _HE WILL PAY_ _._ "


End file.
